


Deserve More

by mysteriousmagicx



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-19 00:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29498949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysteriousmagicx/pseuds/mysteriousmagicx
Summary: Levi falls in love with reader, but unfortunately she had a boyfriend. It didn’t stop him from loving her though. His heart was in her hands.
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Reader, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/You, Levi Ackerman & Reader, Levi Ackerman/Reader, Levi Ackerman/You
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Deserve More

**Author's Note:**

> Mention of abuse and some violence in this story, but nothing too explicit.

Levi doesn’t look up from his paperwork when he hears a knock at his door. He knows who it is.

“Enter.”

A girl walks in, closing the door behind her with a click. She offers him a small smile when he looks up. His heart instantly begins to speed up.

“What will it be today sir?” She questions softly, shifting her weight to the right.

Levi pushes a stack of papers to the front. “Look over these proposals. If you deem them worthy, give them to me and I’ll sign them.” He instructs.

“Um, wouldn’t it be better if you look over them? You are the Corporal.”

“I trust in your ability to see what will be beneficial for the military.” He resumes filling out the documents.

“Yes sir.” She answers obediently as always. She takes the stack of papers and sits down on the floor. The first time she did this it confused him. Why do it on the floor when he had a desk? He soon learned that she doesn’t want stiff muscles from sitting in a chair, which was understandable. His back was full of knots and sore muscles from slaving over his desk.

A comfortable silence falls over them, the scratching of the pens and rustling of paper filling in the air. He couldn’t help but sneak a few glances at the girl.

(Y/N) (L/N), the girl who somehow captured his heart.

She always kept to herself, a quiet girl but helped out her friends when needed. He didn’t pay too much attention to her in the beginning, more so focused on the hot headed idiots like Eren. It pleased him to know that she was actually decent at cleaning, unlike the many incompetent cadets. Hand to hand combat was something she was good in, but her skills with ODMG gear impressed him greatly. He would be mesmerized on how she gracefully flies in the air.

What made him really take an interest in her was that she wasn’t afraid of him. She didn’t treat him like a walking nightmare like the other soldiers who would immediately stiffen and get out of his way. No, she greeted him with a smile if they encountered each other. She would say hello or good morning to him in the halls. (Y/N) treated him like a human.

Levi wanted to get closer to her. He went against everything he vowed not to do: being attached to people. Yet at the same time, he didn’t want her to slip through his fingers, he wanted to hold onto her.

Levi started off small. If he was supervising the training, he would give helpful tips on how to knock out her opponents, sometimes even teaching her his unorthodox methods from his underground days. He demonstrated how to maximize her efficiency with her ODMG gear. He took the liberty of keeping an eye out for her on the field, ready to assist if needed. His gaze strayed to her when they were in the mess hall, engraving her features into his head. Her flowing (h/c) tresses, her soft (e/c) orbs, her powerful form. The crinkle in her nose when she laughed. Her voice was melodious to his ears. It eases his mood, alleviating the tension in his body.

He took it a step further. Levi requested her to help him with his workload, an excuse to have her in his office. Not to mention she was the only one who could read Hanji’s reports because her handwriting was like chicken shit. Occasionally he would have tea for her. It became a habit of his to now take out two tea cups. Other times she would make tea for them. She would surprise him by brewing a special kind of tea she bought at the market.

Conversations over tea, whether it be about revealing pieces of himself or listening about her life, were memorable moments. The way her eyes would shine brightly when talking about something she loves or her voice growing quiet from reminiscing a sad moment, it made him want to hold her, to show that he’s there for her. He never anticipated for her to react so strongly when he talked about his life. She would gasp, her eyes filled with pain and sympathy. All for him. 

His ears pick up her sharp inhale. Pausing his actions, he drifts his eyes towards her form. Her face is scrunched up. She stops every few seconds, lifting her wrist off the floor.

“As you know you are free to work on the desk.” Levi speaks up, making her snap her head to his direction.

“Oh, that won’t be necessary. I just hurt my wrist during training, that’s all.” She assures him, going back to sorting through the papers.

He narrows his eyes at her, not fully convinced but says nothing. He’s been noticing odd things about her lately. How she favors one arm, shifting her weight to one leg, constantly changing her position. He taught her tips on combat so she couldn’t possibly be getting hurt during training. Perhaps she was clumsy, who knows.

After a while (y/n) stands up, placing some papers on the desk. “Here are the proposals I believe would be good.”

He nods. “Good. Take back the rest of the papers to Erwin.”

“Yes sir.”

Collecting the remaining proposals, she exits his office. He saw the slight limp in her step. Furrowing his eyebrows, he ponders how she could get hurt. He makes a mental note to watch her more closely.

He made a promise to himself that he would protect her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Levi knocks on the door, clutching a file in one hand.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

“Enter.”

Stepping inside the room, he closes the door behind him with a click. Erwin looks up from his desk, setting his pen aside.

“What do you need?” He asks.

Levi walks up to him, placing the file in front of him. Erwin takes the file, scanning its contents.

“Request to move cadet (l/n) to your squad?” The Commander says with an eyebrow raised.

Levi nods. “Yes. I believe her skills would be useful in my squad.”

Erwin hums, reading over the papers. “You never request people Levi, there’s something deeper in play.”

The raven haired man leans against the wall, a bored expression on his face. Inside, his heart sings her name. “I observed her during training and found her improving.”

“With your extra help.” Erwin adds.

“She’s a good soldier, she would be a good addition to my team. I need people to balance out the idiocy in my squad.”

Erwin leans back, folding his hands and resting them on his lap. A smile is on his face.

“It wouldn’t hurt to admit it.”

“Admit what?”

He chuckles. “You care for her deeply.”

Levi looks away from him, his eyes cast down to the floor. “I love her.” The words leave his lips. He doesn’t see the bewildered look on the blond man’s face.

“…I see.”

“So?” His ashen hues flicker to him.

“I’ll allow it. Bring her tomorrow. I’ll brief Hanji as well.”

That’s all he needed to hear. With a curt nod he leaves, his boots clacking against the ground. As he rounds a corner, he catches a glimpse of the (h/c) girl laughing with her friends. There’s a pure, innocent look on her visage.

With her in his squad, he can better protect her. He can protect that innocence, that vibrant happiness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Levi taps his foot, his arms crossed over his chest. Erwin watches the stoic man with an amused smile on his face.

“Impatient are we?”

“Tch.”

He wonders what’s taking her so long. He ordered a soldier to retrieve (y/n), he should be competent to do at least that much. Levi grumbles under his breath.

“Hanji was disappointed to find out that you’re stealing (y/n) from her squad.”

He rolls his eyes. “As if I care about her feelings.”

He vividly remembers the mad scientist busting into his room without his consent. She was all excited and jumpy, annoying him. Apparently she knew about him eyeing one of her members, which he denied. However, her demeanor quickly turned serious.

_“If you do anything to harm her or make her cry, I will murder you myself.” The mad scientist threatens making him arch his eyebrow. She was only ever serious during expeditions or planning a strategy._

_“I like to see you try.” He answers flatly._

_Hanji narrows her eyes. “I’m serious Levi.”_

_He sighs. “You know I’ll never do anything intentionally to harm her. I want to protect her, not do the opposite.”_

_Her lips twitch. “Your heart really is big.”_

_He scoffs. “Hardly.”_

_“Well, your heart is huge for her.” A cheeky grin is on her face, reverting back to her usual self._

_He rubs his forehead. “Are you done? I have a headache.”_

_“Treat her well.” Is the last thing she says before she leaves._

A knock resonates in the room, causing him to perk up.

“Who is it?” Erwin questions.

“Cadet (l/n). I’ve been told to come to your office.”

“Enter.”

When she enters, Levi widens his eyes. There’s a purple bruise on her cheek.

“Cadet (l/n) what’s with the bruise?” Levi inquires. She jumps at his voice, not realizing he’s in the room as well.

“Oh, I got it during training.” She answers simply. She turns towards Erwin and does a salute, which he waves off.

Levi racks his brain for any instances during training where she got punched. He thinks of none. She just lied to him. Why?

“Is there something you need from me sir?”

“Actually, I have some news for you.” Erwin says, eyeing her discolored cheek.

“News?” She tilts her head.

“Yes. You are to be transferred into Levi’s squad.”

She blinks at his words, her mouth slightly agape. She certainly wasn’t expecting that.

“W-What?” She sputters in disbelief.

“You’re going to be in my squad from now on.” Levi speaks up.

“Why?”

“Because I requested you to be transferred. Is there a problem?”

She turns to look at him, her eyes wide. He sees a flicker of happiness in her eyes, but it quickly vanishes. There’s only pain and sadness.

She tears her gaze away from him, standing up tall. “I’m sorry, but I would like to decline that offer.” (Y/N) says firmly.

Now it was his turn to be befuddled. Even Erwin looks taken aback from her words.

“What are saying cadet (l/n)?” Erwin asks.

“I’m saying I would like to remain in Hanji’s squad.”

“That wasn’t an offer. Are you disobeying orders?” Levi couldn’t help but sound irritated. Why doesn’t she want to be in his squad?

“Well…,” She fidgets in her spot, clasping her hands together.

“Give me a reasoning as to why you would rather be in Hanji’s squad.” Erwin says. Levi shoots a look at him. He should be enforcing the decision, not giving her a chance to back out!

“Well, I prefer to help around with Hanji’s experiments. I enjoy the work I do in her squad. I also relieve some burdens on Moblit as well.” She reasons.

His eyebrow twitches. “So you happen to like Hanji more than me?” He spats.

“I don’t think you and I will be able to work together.” Her voice is quiet, her words floating in the air. She had no problem working with him in the past, so what changed?

“To put it simply, you don’t want to be in his squad.” Erwin concludes.

“Yes.” She says meekly.

Levi sucks in a breath at her answer. “You don’t like me at all.”

“N-No I-”

“Save it.” He cuts in sharply, making her flinch. Her eyes water, lowering her head to the floor. He didn’t mean to be so harsh, to make her cry, god that’s the last thing he wanted to do, but how else was he supposed to act? The woman he loves doesn’t like him back. It crushes him. Did all those time spent together meant nothing to her? Was the tears she cried for him fake? Did she really not feel anything special towards him?

He was foolish to think that he could have something he wanted. Life never did listen to what he wanted. All life did was make him a miserable man.

Erwin drags out a sigh. “Alright, you may remain in Hanji’s squad. It appears this arrangement won’t work out.”

“Thank you sir.”

“You are dismissed.”

(Y/N) hurriedly leaves the room, leaving the two men in silence. He churns the words inside his head, each words stabbing his heart. 

“…I’m sorry Levi.” Erwin says sympathetically.

“I was an idiot.” He mutters, shaking his head. He leaves his office, walking down the halls. He intends to go to the kitchen to brew himself a cup of tea, but what he sees as he turns the corner makes him freeze.

(Y/N) was hugging someone, her arms tight around his body and her face buried in his chest. The man with dirty blond hair and forest green eyes combs his fingers through her hair, soothing her. An overwhelming amount of pain and anger surges through him, like a dam bursting. He bites his tongue hard and before he could do something he would regret, he turns on his heels and briskly walks away.

He wanted to be the one holding her, to console her. He wanted her to hug him, to rely on him. Levi wanted her. He kicks open his door and slumps down in his chair, covering his face with his hands.

He can never have her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even if he couldn’t have her, he couldn’t stop loving her.

Levi still watched her closely, whether it be on the training grounds, mess hall, or out in the field. His eyes always searched for her, needing to know where she was at all times and if she was okay. He kept his distance after that day. He never spoke to her unless he really needed to. He still worried for her, especially since he as been noticing more bruises on her as of late. She was injured before the fight began. It hindered her ability to do well, most times she ended up going to the infirmary. Just where the hell was she getting hurt?

He promised himself that he would protect her and he would. He kept his eyes and ears sharp, looking out for any signs that would help him find out about her situation.

It still hurt him that he couldn’t have her. What made his heart hurt even more was that (y/n) ceased her smiles and warm greetings to him. If they ever met in the halls, she would speed up and be out of his sights. Hell, she practically avoided him as if he was a walking nightmare. When she would help him out in his office, their comfortable atmosphere turned awkward and thick with unspoken words.

He missed her warm, bubbly aura that alleviated his mood. He missed her voice. He missed her soft look in her eyes. He missed her being…herself around him.

Levi sighs, setting his pen down and leaning his back against his chair. She’s late. Again. He never pried why she was late even though he was curious. She would lie to him again.

Suddenly the door opens, his posture straightening. He deflates once he sees the mad scientist enters. It somewhat puzzled him that she didn’t barge in like usual.

“What do you want?” He says exasperatedly.

“Gee, you look horrible.” Hanji points out, hands on her hips.

It was true, he did look less than flattering, His clothes were thrown on carelessly, odd strands of hair poking out from his head. Dark crescents dig into his skin, a telling sign of his lack of sleep. All he could think about at night was how it would feel to have her body press against his. How it would feel to kiss her. How it would feel to have her be his.

“Is that all you’ve came here to say?” He scowls, not in the mood to deal with her antics.

Hanji frowns, sitting down. “No, I’ve got news for you.”

“What news?”

“News that you’re not going to like, but you should probably know.” 

Levi sighs. “Out with it.”

“Well, it’s still obvious that you still like-no love, (y/n).”

A pang shoots through his heart. “Spit it out.” He says through gritted teeth. He didn’t need her to point out the obvious to him.

“Sad to say that she has a boyfriend.”

His heart shatters. A boyfriend? She already gave her heart to someone else? The pain only grows, his heart constricts like a snake coiling its tail around his organ.

“…I see…,” He casts his eyes downward.

“I’m really sorry Levi.” Hanji says sympathetically.

“Who’s the guy?”

“Alex Blaze. Dirty blond hair with green eyes.”

His breath hitches when he reminisces about that day after she rejected wanting to be in his squad. So he was the one who has her heart. (Y/N) was his, and it angered and saddened him at the same time. It was childish of him to be angry. She’s with someone else and there’s nothing he could do. He has no right to be angry. But the heart wants what it wants.

There’s a knock at his door, interrupting their conversation.

“Name and business.” 

“Cadet (l/n). I need to talk to you sir.”

“Enter.”

She steps inside his office. Hanji gasps and Levi widens his eyes. She has a black eye, her lips bloodied. She’s clutching her right arm, shifting her weight to the left.

“Oh my god (y/n), what happened!?” Hanji says alarmingly as she stands up.

“I was clumsy, that’s all.” She adds a laugh towards the end, but Levi wasn’t fooled, not one bit. Lies, why does she insist on lying to him?

“Being clumsy certainly wouldn’t give you a black eye.” Levi points out. She avoids his gaze.

“I’m a special kind you could say.” She says lamely.

Oh she is special all right, but not in the way she thinks. It honestly angers him that she thinks her excuses would be enough. Just what was she hiding, why won’t she say anything? If not to him, why not to Hanji or Erwin?

“What is it do you wish to talk about?” There was no point in questioning her. He has to investigate on his own. If he finds out someone did this to her, he’s going to hunt them down and personally dismember them. Nobody gets away hurting her, not when he’s here. The mere thought of someone wanting to hurt makes him clench his hands but he keeps his cool facade on. Who in their right mind would want to hurt her? He pushes that thought aside for now.

(Y/N) throws a look towards Hanji. Hesitating, the scientist leaves the office. The pair is enveloped in silence. She nibbles on her lip, glancing to the side.

“Well?”

“I…would like to relieve my duties with helping you out with paperwork sir.” Her voice is nearly inaudible, but he picked it up. And he did not react well. He slams his hands on his desk, sharply standing up. The loud smack makes her flinch, looking at him with wide eyes. Him, on the other hand, has a fire burning in his eyes.

“Give me one goddam reason why you want that.” He seethes.

Her form trembles, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. Great, this is the second time he made her cry. He just fucks everything up.

“I-I just don’t think it’s a good idea for me to work with you anymore.” She stutters.

“Tell me, what did I do to make you hate me this much.” He rasps out, a torrent of emotions running rampant inside him. He loses the edge to his voice, his tone coming out to be weary. Pain flashes in his eyes as he looks at her. Why was everything going to shit? Just what did he do?

“N-Nothing. I don’t hate you Captain.”

Lies, all fucking lies. Why else would she be acting like this? God it frustrates him so much.

He sits back down on his chair, unable to fight anymore. He didn’t want her to go, but he can’t force her.

“Fine. Just…go…,” He says tiredly.

It looked like she wanted to say something but decided against it. She leaves his office, a limp in her step. Levi closes his eyes, releasing a long breath. The pain has grown from a seed to a tree, its roots binding his body.

She’s gone now. All he wanted was to be close to her, but now they’re farther apart than ever before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Levi told himself to move on, to harden his heart and to never go back on his vow of being attached to people ever again.

But he also had another vow, to protect her. He prioritized that first despite the pain of knowing she will never be his. He was her shadow, constantly watching out for her.

Levi frequently dreamed of (y/n) being his lover. How they would snuggle on his bed, watch the starry skies together, to hear her say those words to him. Then reality would hit like a bucket of ice water poured on his head. She’s snuggling with Alex, watching starry skies with Alex, saying I love you to Alex.

Alex was her lover, not him.

He watched him as well. Levi watched him throw his arms around her shoulders, kissing her cheeks. How she would laugh at his jokes, her peals of laughter ringing in the air. How she would blush when he whispered something in her ear.

She’s happy, her happiness mattered to him whether he was in her life or not. So why did he feel disgusted every time they displayed affection? Why was there a twisting feeling in his gut? Why did he hate Alex when he did nothing wrong?

Levi sighs as he walks down the hall. He doesn’t have time to think about this, he has to focus on training the cadets. He walks out into the training grounds, the soldiers waiting for him. He scans the group, furrowing his eyebrows when he sees (y/n). She looks exhausted, her eyes drooping. He sees bruises on her wrists, no doubt more somewhere on her body.

“Alright, pair up. We’re going to be sparring today.” Levi commands. A collective yes sir is heard as everyone pairs up.

Levi observes their movements, somewhat pleased that some improved like Connie. His eyes drift towards the (h/c) girl. She’s off balance, her movements are sloppy and off target. He sees her wince every time her right leg moves. She staggers backwards when her opponent hits her stomach. She sways from side to side, struggling to get back into her fighting stance.

Levi knew right away that having her spar was a mistake. Why the hell didn’t he pull her out? He moves to intervene but suddenly she crumbles to the ground. Panic fills his body as he rushes over to her. Everyone immediately stops fighting, turning their attention towards her.

“S-Sir, I don’t know what-”

“Shut it.” He snaps, crouching down. He nudges her, but receives no response. He easily lifts her up in his arms, a few cadets gasping in surprise. Briskly walking to the infirmary, he kicks the door open. The nurse looks up, quickly standing up.

“Captain!” She squeaks.

“She fainted. There’s also bruises on her body no doubt.” He keeps the worried tone in check. He gently lowers her onto the bed. The nurse takes another look at her, recognition flashing in her eyes.

“Oh yes, cadet (l/n). She’s been coming over a lot. She’s been getting a lot of injuries as of late, is she doing alright in combat?” She questions.

How the hell was she getting them? More questions swirl inside his brain, making him furious. He vowed to protect her, but he doesn’t even know who to protect her from.

Before he could respond, he hears a pained moan. He snaps his head towards her form. Her eyes crack open, landing on him. A cloud of confusion hangs over her.

“Where…am I…?”

“Infirmary.” He answers curtly.

“How did I get here?”

“I carried you.”

His answer causes her eyes to fly open, her mouth agape. A slight hue dusts her cheeks. “O-Oh …thank you Captain.”

For the first time in a long time, she smiles at him, her eyes soft. His breath gets caught in his throat, warmth blossoming in his chest. It’s been so long since he’s seen her smile. Before he could say anything else, the door opens. Alex walks in, his eyes landing on (y/n)’s form.

“Cadet Blaze, what brings you here?” He couldn’t help but make his tone icy which makes him flinch.

“I heard from my friends that my girlfriend collapsed during training. I wanted to see if she was okay.” He stands tall, his gaze unwavering but the fear in his eyes does not go unnoticed by him.

“Don’t worry, she’s in good hands.” The nurse assures him with a smile.

“You happen to know anything regarding her injuries?” Levi questions. There it is again, the knots in his stomach tightening.

“She’s really clumsy, that’s all. Sometimes I’m not there to help her so she gets hurt.”

Great, he has two people lying to him now. He just about had it. He needs to get out of here, away from Alex or else he’s afraid he may do something brash.

“Hey. Are you okay?” Alex quickly walks over to the bedside, taking her hand in his.

“I-I’m fine.” She says hoarsely.

“I’m sorry, but I need you both to leave so I can examine her.”

The two men exit the room, leaving the nurse to care for her injuries.

“Well, I need to go sir. My squad leader needs me in his office.”

“Then go.”

Alex does a quick salute before walking away. Levi’s gaze lingers on his retreating form, something brewing inside his mind.

He’s going to get to the bottom of this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_(y/n) gasps as Levi’s lips attack her neck. She holds onto his back as he bites down on her skin._

_“Levi..,” She exhales into his ear, encouraging him even more._

_His needy hands slip under her shirt to caress her body. He blows on her damp skin, making her shiver. He knows exactly what to do to make her melt. Kissing down to her collarbone, he feels her hands toying with the end of his shirt. Leaning back, he pulls his shirt over his head, tossing it over his shoulder._

_A scarlet blush rises to her cheeks at the sight of his muscles, making him smirk._

_“Enjoying what you see?”_

_“I..um..,” She stumbles with her words, averting her gaze. He chuckles at her reaction, taking her hand and placing it on his chest._

_“I’m all yours.” He whispers. He presses a tender kiss to her lips, cradling her face gently. She responds, looping her arms around his neck._

_“I love you,” she murmurs against his lips._

Levi’s eyes snap open. He slowly sits up, raking a hand through his ebony locks. Just a dream, just like all the others. Sighing, he covers his face with his hands. He quickly gets dressed. He has some investigating to do. 

He briskly walks down the halls, reaching his destination in a matter of minutes. He knocks on the door, waiting for a response.

“Who is it?” A tired voice calls out.

“Levi.”

He hears a chair scraping against the floorboards. The door opens, revealing a tall man with chocolate tresses and cerulean eyes.

“Captain Levi.”

“Squad Leader Rio.”

Rio opens the door wider, allowing the raven haired male to enter.

“What can I do for you?” Rio walks back to his chair and sits down.

“Tell me about Alex Blaze.”

Rio blinks, but nonetheless answers. “A strong soldier, good at combat fighting. He lacks in ODMG skills, using too much of his gas quickly. Put it simply, he’s hot headed.”

“Anything else?” Levi presses.

“Anything particular you want to hear?”

“Does he seem odd to you in any way?”

Rio arches an eyebrow. “Odd? No, not really. Although..,” he trails off.

“Get on with it.” Levi says.

“Sometimes he uses too much of his strength. Most of his sparring partners end up in the infirmary heavily injured, others beg not to be partner up with him. Not to mention he can be triggered easily.”

Levi narrows his eyes at this new piece of information. “What do you mean by triggered easily?”

Rio sighs. “We all went out to town one day. It was supposed to be a nice evening for all of us, but apparently a woman didn’t watch where she was going and bumped into him. He lost it and punched her hard. She broke her nose I’m pretty sure.” He grimaces as he recalls the memory.

Levi was appalled. “He has the nerve to hit a woman for that?”

“Afraid so.”

That’s all the information he needed. He turns on his heels and walks out. So that bastard was the one hurting her, her own boyfriend. It makes him sick that Alex acted so nice and loving towards her when in reality he was nothing more than a pathetic lowlife.

He’s going to die by his hands.

Levi needs to find her, fast. He will not allow her to get hurt anymore. Growling lowly, he stalks down the halls. As he walks outside, he hears voices.

“You little bitch. Who did you tell?”

“Just stop! All you ever do is hurt me! It’s hard for people to not worry and think something’s going on! What did I ever do to you?! What-”

He hears a cry. _Her cry._ Something snaps inside him like a twig breaking. He rounds the corner and the sight in front of him makes his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. There she is on the ground in a fetal position. Crimson drips from her head, staining the ground. He sees the exposed skin of her stomach, painted with black and purple bruises. Each whimper is a stab to his heart.

His gaze switches to the man who did this to her. Alex is towering over her, a furious look in his eyes. Blood slides down his knuckles. His foot digs into her side and he swears he hears a crack. He raises his foot, a glint in his eyes.

Levi’s fist collides with Alex’s jaw, sending him flying. He stands protectively in front of the woman he loves, a murderous glare on his face. Alex pushes himself off the ground, rubbing his bruised jaw. He turns to look at the person who did that to him. His angered look washes away when he sees Levi, being replaced by horror.

“C-Captain Levi-”

“So you were the one who caused (y/n) pain, made her bleed and cry.” Levi says menacingly, slowly walking towards him like a predator to his prey.

His eyes dart to (y/n)’s form. “Eyes on me you scum.” Levi seethes.

“I-I can explain-”

Levi lands a swift kick to his stomach causing Alex to crumble to the ground. He clutches his stomach, moaning in pain. Levi digs the heel of his boot into his side, making him shriek.

“There’s no logical explanation as to why you should beat a woman, and she’s your girlfriend.” Levi spats, venom dripping from his words. He shakes his head. “No, you didn’t treat her like someone you love, you treated her like dirt, a useless thing to be thrown away on the streets.”

“P-Plea-”

Levi stomps down hard, cracks and his screams mingling in the air. “How do you like it? Is it fun being in pain?”

Tears and dirt cake Alex’s skin, making Levi click his tongue. He crouches, placing his mouth near his ear.

“You never deserved her. She trusted you to be a good man to her and you chose to become the thing she fears. She gave you her love and you threw it away. If I ever see you near her again, I’ll make sure to personally skin you alive and harvest your organs.” He threatens darkly, a shiver going down Alex’s spine.

Levi rises to his feet, looking down at Alex. Pathetic. He’ll do something about him later but right now he has more important matters to attend. He rushes to her side, grimacing at the blood and bruises. He should’ve done something sooner, should’ve come here faster, but at least Alex won’t hurt her anymore. He will never allow her to be hurt again.

Gently scooping her up in his arms, he makes sure not to jostle her too much as he makes his way to the infirmary. By now the soldiers were waking up and walking to the mess hall. They all gasp, their eyes wide when they see Levi holding a battered woman in his arms. One look from him made them scurry away.

“Levi.”

Levi stops, looking over his shoulder. Rio is a few feet away from him, a grim expression on his face.

“I’m guessing Alex did that to her?”

“Unfortunately, yes. I taught him a lesson. He’s outside.”

Rio drags out a sigh. “I knew I should’ve done something after that day. Deepest apologies.”

“What’s done is done. I don’t want him anywhere near her.”

Rio nods. “Of course, he’ll be disciplined for his actions.”

“I propose to me having a chat with him for a bit, for more lessons.”

Rio’s lips twitch. “I think that’s a good idea.”

Levi resumes walking, entering the infirmary. The nurse shoots up from her chair, hands flying to her mouth.

“Oh my, what happened!?”

“Doesn’t matter, just help her.” He commands, setting her down on the bed. Her head rolls to the side, her breathing shallow.

The nurse vigorously nods. “Of course!” She quickly takes out her medical supplies.

“When she’s all done, send a cadet to inform me.” Levi instructs.

“Yes sir!”

Levi leaves, allowing the nurse to do her job. He walks to his office, slumping down on his chair. He sweeps his hair to the side, his eyes closed. To see her on the ground with her blood…that’s something he’s never going to forget. 

If only she knows how much he loves her, how much he cares and cherishes her. He’s damn sure no one could love her as much as him. She sparked a warmth inside his heart, shined her light on his dark world, made his days brighter. He has a new motivation to keep fighting, to eradicate all titans so she could be free from the monsters outside the walls.

He wants to see that smile on her face again, her happy aura radiating from her body.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A knock resonates in the air.

“Name and business.” Levi says gruffly.

“Cadet Sherlz. The nurse says that cadet (l/n) is treated and that you can see her.”

Levi immediately stands up and briskly walks out the door, nearly hitting the cadet in the face with the door. He steps inside the infirmary, his gaze drifting towards the figure on the bed. Bandages cover her forehead and arms, no doubt more on her body elsewhere. She looks peaceful, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. The nurse quietly leaves, the door closing with a click.

Bringing a chair over to the bedside, he sits down. He looks at her hand. Hesitantly, he grabs a hold of her hand. He releases a breath, lifting her hand up to his lips.

“The things you do to me…,” He murmurs, savoring the feel of her skin on his lips. 

Suddenly she stirs, a groan leaving her lips. He lets go of her hand, falling to her side. Her eyes slowly open, squinting before closing them again. Her eyes reopen, blinking away the hazy confusion. Turning her head to the side, she gasps.

“C-Captain Levi…,” She trails off, pink hue dusting her cheeks.

“How are you feeling?” He inquires.

“Better. Did…you carry me to the infirmary again?”

“I did.”

She averts her gaze. “Thank you… I’ve been really clumsy-

“Enough. I’ve had it.” He interjects, an irritated look crossing his features. His patience has run out and he needs answers.

She looks back at him with wide eyes. “Sir-”

“No more lies, understand? You better tell me the truth this time.” He says authoritatively.

(Y/N) gulps, slight panic in her eyes. His intense gaze makes her lower her eyes to the pristine white sheets.

“Okay, no more lies.” She repeats quietly.

“Good. Start by saying why you never told anyone about your situation.”

Her fingers curl into the bedsheets. “He would’ve found out and hurt me. I tried breaking it off with him but I got a severe beating for it.” She chokes on her words, squeezing her eyes shut.

He clenches his teeth. That fucking bastard. “Why did he beat you?”

Her lips quiver. “Sometimes I do something that sets him off, like talking with another guy or being late to meet him. Other times he’s mad at something and blows off steam on me. Or he just does it just because he wanted to. I never do anything back because I’ll get hurt more. I tried way too many times.” A half cry leaves her lips, tears streaming down her cheeks.

He embraces her instantly, pressing her face to his chest. She stiffens in his hold, arms laying limply by her side. There’s a menacing look on his face, one that she doesn’t see. Alex imposed such fear on her that she just took the beatings. Oh, he’ll show Alex what true fear is.

“What are you-”

“Why didn’t you tell me, you know you can trust me.” His voice drops to a whisper. “I could’ve protected you.”

“I-I didn’t want to burden someone else with my problems.”

Levi pulls away and looks down at her, appalled. Did she seriously just say that? “You were in an unhealthy relationship, you should’ve asked for help! Look at yourself, look at all the injuries you’ve gotten because of that bastard.” He scolds her.

(Y/N) trains her eyes on the wall. “…I didn’t think you would care…,” she says sadly.

His mind draws a blank. After all the things he has done for her, giving her tips on fighting, watching out for her on the battlefield, talking with her over tea…she thought he didn’t care about her? That he thought of herself as nothing more than a simple cadet?

“Did you not notice anything I did for you?” He says with slowly, his eyes slightly wide.

Tears well up in her eyes again. “Alex said nobody would care about me and that he’s the only person who does.”

“You idiot!” His voice makes her jump. Anger boils inside him, anger at the fact that Alex made her think of herself as worthless, anger at the fact that she believed him.

“Don’t you dare listen to that lowlife. Whatever lies he fed you, forget them. He knows nothing. How does beating you mean he cares for you?” He was being harsh he knows, but he needs to knock some sense into her.

Her form trembles at his words. Sighing, he combs his fingers through her silky hair. “You have people that care for you. Your friends, Hanji,…me.” He says the last part quietly.

She looks at him with her mouth agape. “You…do?”

His heart beats faster, singing her name. He swallows thickly. “I do. There’s not enough words to describe just how deeply I care for you.”

She gasps at his words. “R-Really..?”

He contemplates whether he should say the words,. They’re balanced on the tip of his tongue. He looks deeply into her eyes, taking in a shuddering breath.

“I…love you.” He lets the words fall. He needs her to know how much she means to him.

She’s stunned, her body tensing. She searches his face for lies, but all that reflects in his ashen hues is honesty.

“You deserve someone that can make you happy, who loves and cherishes you deeply. You deserve someone that you feel safe with. You deserve so much.” The words continue to fall from his mouth like a flowing river.

“What are you trying to say…?” She says in wonder.

“I’m saying that I have loved you far longer than Alex has. I’m better than him and I can prove it. I can prove to you just how much I love you. I’ll do my best to give you what you deserve. I can give you the love that he never gave you.” He says firmly. He grabs her hand, brushing his thumb over her skin.

“However, I do know you need time. You’ve just gotten out of a relationship and I understand that. You do not have to love me now, just know I’m always here for you. I will wait for you.”

(Y/N) continues to stare at him in shock. A thought crosses his mind, a pang shooting through his heart. “Even if you do not love me and fall in love with another man, I will still protect you. I will look out for you no matter what.” He vows to her.

After his speech the pair is enveloped in silence. The seconds tick by and he’s itching to know her response. He’s said everything to her. Shaky breaths leaves her mouth. She slowly raises her hand and cups his cheek. Closing his eyes, he nuzzles her palm.

“You have no idea how happy that makes me…hearing you say those words to me…,”

Opening his eyes, he sees a soft smile on her face. He brushes her tears away with the pads of his thumbs.

“Truthfully, I love you too Captain. There was always a part of me that loved you even though I was with Alex.”

His eyes widen at the new piece of information. She returns his feelings? His heat rejoices at her words. The woman he loves…loves him back. All the pain he has felt leaves his body. Yet there is still something bugging him.

“Then why did you push me away?”

Her smile falters. “As I said, I didn’t think you would care. In the beginning, Alex was a nice guy, so I gave him a chance. Everything was fine but he started getting violent. I was scared, I wasn’t thinking straight. You’ve done many things for me…I didn’t want to drag you down.”

“Don’t. Don’t you dare do that again.” He rasps out. “Tell me whatever’s bothering you, whatever happens in your life. Never think of yourself as a burden.”

She nods. “I-I understand. I’m sorry for making you go through pain, for everything that happened.” She says guiltily.

Levi shakes his head. “Don’t apologize. None of this was your fault, you were manipulated by that fucking lowlife. All that matters is that you’re safe and no harm will come to you, not when I’m still standing.”

Love and adoration swirls in her eyes. “Thank you Captain-”

“Levi.” He cuts in. “Call me Levi. Titles do not matter in a relationship.”

“Okay..Levi.” She smiles as she tests it out. His lips twitch, loving the way his name sounds.

He notices her eyes darting to his lips. He leans down, pressing his lips onto hers in a tender manner. Unspoken words pass between them, affirming their love for one another. This was better than any dream because this was reality. He finally has the woman he loves by his side. He finally got what he wanted.

“I love you Levi..,” She mumbles as they part, stroking his jaw.

“I love you too,” He replies, his heart blossoming with warmth.

There it is. Her beaming smile and soft eyes. He leans back in his chair, grasping her hand tightly.

“Rest. I’ll be here if you need me.”

She nods, closing her eyes. He gazes softly at her. A rare smile adorns his face.

He broke his vow to never get attached to anyone, but he would gladly take the risk on loving (y/n). She was worth it.


End file.
